Charlotte Edwards Cup: Danni Wyatt stars as Southern Vipers beat Thunder to secure place in final
- Published
Danni Wyatt warmed up for the upcoming Ashes with a breathtaking 76 from 50 balls, which included a six and 12 fours
Charlotte Edwards Cup semi-final, New Road, Worcester |
Southern Vipers 191-6 (20 overs): Wyatt 76, Bouchier 56; Bell 4-37 |
Thunder 173-8 (20 overs): Morris 36, Ecclestone 33; Adams 2-26, Shrubsole 2-30, Smith 2-31 |
Vipers win by 18 runs |
England batter Danni Wyatt smashed a glorious 76 as holders Southern Vipers beat Thunder by 18 runs to move into the Charlotte Edwards Cup final.
Wyatt shared a blistering opening stand of 108 with Maia Bouchier (56) in a daunting total of 191-6 in the Finals Day eliminator at Worcester's New Road.
Liv Bell's fine spell of 4-37 halted the rate slightly.
But despite a fine start to the reply, Vipers held their nerve to move into the final against The Blaze.
Thunder were ahead of the rate after five overs, largely thanks to a 25-ball 36 by Fi Morris. However, the pressure of sustaining the pace over a prolonged period proved too much and some wily bowling from Anya Shrubsole (2-30) and Linsey Smith (2-31) steered Vipers to victory.
Vipers only guaranteed their place at Finals Day thanks to three consecutive victories at the end of the competition.
But the confidence brought by that run was evident in the early fireworks from Wyatt and Bouchier on a sweltering day, and crucially allowed them to swing freely in the closing overs.
Bouchier won the race to the half-century, getting there with two fours in three balls from just 29 deliveries before succumbing when she skied a ball from 17-year-old left-arm seamer Mahika Gaur straight into the hands of Ellie Threlkeld.
Bell then took centre stage, removing skipper Georgia Adams and Wyatt, albeit with an ugly full toss that saw Wyatt caught on the mid-wicket boundary.
And although Vipers continued to score heavily, Bell's four wickets ensured their total was scary but not insurmountable.
Thunder's impressive response gave hope of a thrilling victory. The big-hitting Deandra Dottin's cameo of 24 from 14 balls kept the innings on track, and Sophie Ecclestone (33) and Threlkeld (31) all contributed alongside Morris, but Vipers were able to close out the win.